14 DAY TRIAL // Producer Quincy Jones, who worked with Michael Jackson for the most part of his career, is taking legal action against Sony and Michael Jackson Productions (MJJ) on the grounds that he’s been cheated out of royalties.
TMZ obtained the court documents filed hours ago and they offer some details on Jones’ claims. He’s asking for a minimum of $10 million (€7.2 million) in compensation and argues that he’s the victim of an evil scheme by Sony and MJJ.
“[He claims] he owns a big chunk of ‘Off the Wall,’ ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’ because he produced all of them. Jones claims Sony and MJJ concocted a scheme to edit and remix the original songs and put them into new ventures such as the ‘This Is It’ movie, the Cirque du Soleil stage show and the 25th Anniversary of the ‘Bad’ album and then deny him royalties,” TMZ reports.
“The allegations are even worse. Jones says MJJ and Sony created a shell game and diverted millions of bucks away from what is rightfully his,” the report further says.
If these claims are true, then perhaps the minimum sum he’s seeking as compensation doesn’t even begin to cover the amount he’s owed, considering that, just a few days ago, Michael Jackson was named Forbes’ highest earning dead celebrity.
Last year, through a variety of ventures, including the Cirque du Soleil Jackson-themed shows, the Michael Jackson Estate made $160 million (€115.8 million) off his work.
Of course, a considerable chunk of that money was made the “traditional” way, by selling records. It’s no secret that fans continue to support MJ’s legacy and that he’s making new fans by the day so, if what Jones is saying is true, he’s owed a lot of money.
As it happens, an attorney for the Michael Jackson Estate is saying that Jones’ claims are absolutely ridiculous and, at the same time, disappointing.
“The Estate of Michael Jackson was saddened to learn that Quincy Jones has filed a lawsuit seeking money from Michael's Estate. To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael,” the attorney says in a statement.